CULTURE – SOCIETY – EDUCATION NO.

2 (16) 2019 POZNAŃ

Tomasz Kasprzak*
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

Analysis of the discourse on education

and rehabilitation of persons with multiple
disabilities in the Czech Republic12

KEYWORDS ABSTRACT

multiple education, Czech Re-
public, special education, peda-
gogical research
Kasprzak Tomasz, Analysis of discourse on education and
rehabilitation of people with disabilities coupled in the
Czech Republic. Culture – Society – Education no 2(16)
2019, Poznań 2019, pp. 225–234, Adam Mic­kiewicz
University Press. ISSN 2300-0422. DOI 10.14746/
kse.2019.16.14.

At the core of the Czech education system and rehabilita-

tion for people with multiple disabilities to the assumption
that this is a group that requires a specialized approach to
this issue. The main purpose of the text is to present the or-
ganization of education of people with multiple disability in
the Czech Republic. Education and rehabilitation with the
participation of people with multiple disabilities encourages
to undertake research related to the dynamics of changes
as well as their size. This work is an attempt to show how
various factors have shaped the current form of education
of people with multiple disability in the Czech Republic.

Foreword

This paper is an attempt to analyse the discourse on education and rehabilitation

of persons with multiple disabilities in the Czech Republic. The problem of educa-

 * ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0955-3464.
**  This paper is a continuation of and supplement to my previous paper: T. Kasprzak, Education
of pupils with multiple disabilities in the Czech Republic, „Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki
Specjalnej (“Interdisciplinary Contexts of Special Pedagogy”, English edition), no. 22/2018.
226 Tomasz Kasprzak

tion and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities has been the subject of numer-
ous deliberations of special needs educators in the Czech Republic (Bełza 2015;
Kasprzak 2017, 2018, 2019a, 2019b; Sovák 1986; Souralová 2001; Ludíková 2003;
Vašek 2003; Proházková 2005; Pipeková 2006; Vítková 2006). I decided to explore
the understanding of this category  – as the object of pedagogical research  – in
Czech institutions. First of all, this paper is not a review of the achievements of
Czech special needs education in terms of multiple disabilities studies; rather it is
an outline presenting the information I have gained so far. In my paper, I would
like to discuss the problem of the population of persons with multiple disabilities,
which, undoubtedly, is a very diversified group, mainly due to the co-existence of
different types and degrees of disabilities.
Lucie Proházková defines multiple disabilities as a phenomenon that has mul-
tiple symptoms, multiple factors and multiple causes and is manifested by signif-
icant cognitive deficits in the area of communication (2005: 26–31). Meanwhile,
Andrzej Twardowski emphasizes the fact that “multiple disabilities are not a sim-
ple sum of individual impairments, but instead, they are a specific, separate and
complex whole” (2001: 131).
Problems caused by multiple disabilities exist on several dimensions. We
should focus on defining the level of engagement, communication methods and
cognitive functions. Etiological factors causing multiple disabilities are very diver-
sified. Combined impairments may occur at every stage of ontogenetic develop-
ment. Their source may be hereditary factors or innate factors.

The context of multiple disabilities in the Czech Republic

The post-communist social changes that took place in the Czech Republic after
1989 may not be reduced to mere economic transformations or changes in the
economy, technology and education. In the last two decades, there has been a rap-
id, almost global development of new technologies, built on the conditions of the
“information age”, pertaining to the post-industrial phase of capitalism. The idea
of free market economy gained wide approval and became the foundation for con-
temporary democratic states. The motto of the anti-communist “velvet revolution”
of 1989 in Czechoslovakia – the “Return to Europe” meant returning to the Euro-
pean community and building a wealthy society. In the Czech Republic, the tran-
sition from communism to democracy is considered to have been successful. The
political system is stable and the standard of life of the Czechs is constantly grow-
ing. Despite the successes, persons with disabilities – the group that was the most
Analysis of the discourse on education and rehabilitation of persons 227

disadvantaged by the political transformation after 1989 – are left out (Kasprzak,
2019b).
Problems caused by multiple disabilities exist on several dimensions. We
should focus on defining the scope of engagement, communication methods and
the area of cognitive functions. Etiological factors that cause multiple disabilities
are very diversified. Combined impairments may occur at any stage of ontogenetic
development. Their source may be hereditary factors or innate factors. Dagma-
ra Opatřilová identifies the following multifactorial complex conditions causing
multiple disabilities: contamination; poisoning; developmental disorders; meta-
bolic disorders; disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS);
chromosomal disorders; environmental factors; mechanical brain damage; central
nervous system dysfunctions as a result of complications during pregnancy or de-
livery (Opatřilová, 2005: 12).
In the Czech Republic, a person with disability is defined on the basis of the
following regulations:
−  zákon č. 108/2006 Sb. o sociálních službách [Act no. 108/2006 Sb. on So-
cial Services]: disability is understood as physical, intellectual, auditory,
visual or mixed limitations that make a person with disability dependent
on another person;
−  zákon č. 198/2009 Sb. o rouvné zacházem a právních prostředcích ochra-
ny pied diskriminací (antydiskriminací zákon) [Act no. 198/2009 Sb. on
Equal Treatment and Protection Against Discrimination, as amended]: dis-
ability means physical, sensory, intellectual or other limitations that deprive
disabled persons of their right to equal treatment within the areas provided
for in the Act. Such limitation must be prolonged, lasting for at least one
year;
−  zákon č. 155/1995 Sb. důchodovém pojištění [Act no. 155/1995 Sb. on Old
Age Pension Insurance], which defines disability as a prolonged condition
of bad health that negatively affects life and health.
The Czech analysis of the problem emphasizes the inconsistent use of the
term of disability. Generally speaking, there is no single definition of disability
in that country. Yet, there has been an evident change in the paradigm, in which
the definition of a person with disability does not provide for their weakness-
es, instead accentuating their potential and the support and help they receive.
To name the condition in which a person has a combination of any two or
more types of disabilities, the Czech literature on the subject uses several anal-
ogous terms defining multiple disabilities: manifold disabilities (vícenásobné
postižení), “combined disabilities” (kombinované postižení). The three terms
228 Tomasz Kasprzak

are treated by specialists as synonyms and are in line with the latest trends in
special needs education. In the Czech special needs education, multiple disa-
bilities (kombinowané postižení) mean the occurrence of several disabilities in
a given person. It should be noted that each disability may take different forms
and degrees of intensity. According to Miloš Sovák (1986: 231), multiple dis-
abilities mean the occurrence of several impairments in one person that con-
cur and are a direct cause of abnormalities in psychosocial and psychosomatic
development. Marie Vitková (2006: 302) understands multiple disabilities as
the overall complex of the limitations of a person, in all areas of the person’s
life. A person has reduced emotional, cognitive and communication skills. He
stresses the fact that it is impossible to identify any “main symptoms of multi-
ple disabilities”.
The Government Committee for the Disabled (Vládní výbor pro zdravotně
postižené občany), in its National Programme for creating equal opportunities
for persons with disabilities (Národní plán vytváření rovných příležitostí pro osoby
se zdravotním postižením na období 2010–2014) published in 2010 for the years
2010–2014 describes disability as “a prolonged condition of bad health that has
not significantly improved and has not been eliminated. This situation, in most
cases, is independent of human will”. In 2009, the Czech Republic adopted the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The country that adopts
this document is obliged to ensure observance of all the rights and freedoms of
the individual, mainly based on the social integration of those persons. Persons
with multiple disabilities in the Czech Republic represent a minimum share of the
population, but their number has been constantly growing for a long time. Due to
the diversity of multiple disabilities, it is hard to determine their exact number. The
concept of multiple disabilities covers a relatively wide range of all kinds of disabil-
ities that, combined with one another, may cause different degrees of disabilities.
The Ministry of Education and Sport of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo školství,
mládeže a tělovýchovy České republiky) has divided multiple disabilities into three
basic groups:
−  The first group: intellectual disability is the dominant factor in this group.
•  Intellectual disability + sensory impairments (sensory integration disor-
ders);
•  intellectual disability + speech disorders;
•  Intellectual disability + autism;
•  Intellectual disability + mental disorders;
−  The second group: the dominant factor is motor disability and sensory inte-
gration disorders, speech disorders that combine with one another;
Analysis of the discourse on education and rehabilitation of persons 229

−  The third group: the dominant factor is autism and its basic features: – au-
tism + intellectual disability;
•  Autism – sensory impairments (sensory integration disorders);
•  Autism + motor disability;
•  Autism + speech disorders;
Meanwhile, Lili Monatová (1995: 59) presents a somewhat different division of
persons with multiple disabilities:
−  The primary disability (chronic diseases, motor disability, intellectual dis-
ability);
−  Combination of intellectual and motor disabilities with hearing and speech
disorders and mental disorders;
−  The most serious disabilities:
•  Motor disability with visual impairments;
•  Motor disability with hearing impairments;
•  Simultaneous vision and hearing damage with speech disorders;
•  Cerebral palsy with motor and intellectual disabilities and speech disor-
ders.
Štefan Vašek (2003) divides persons with multiple disabilities into three
groups of symptoms, which are associated with: (1) intellectual disability,
(2) deafblindness  – simultaneous visual and hearing damage, (3) behavioural
disorders combined with other disabilities. In order to find the right approach
and understand the difficulties caused by the occurrence of multiple disabilities,
it is worth quoting the four models (concepts) described by De Jong (Broeakaert,
1999: 410).

Table 1. Four models (concepts) of multiple disabilities

The index model Multiple disabilities exist when a person has two or more impairments
model sčítání (skládání) whose gravity is equal to the sum of individual difficulties associated
with a given disability.
The multiplication model In this model, two or more impairments also form multiple disabilities,
model násobení however, their gravity increases much faster than in the previous model.
The steps model In this model, the central element is the specificity of the functioning
model schodu of a person with multiple disabilities. When planning intervention, first,
the person’s problems need to be identified and on this basis, subsequent
stages should be defined “step by step” in order to eliminate or mitigate
the diagnosed disabilities.
The circle model In this model, two or more impairments affect the functioning of the
model kruhu body of a person with multiple disabilities, also between one another.
Source: Own elaboration based on: Broekaert, 1999; Zikl, 2005
230 Tomasz Kasprzak

These models are the condition to find the right approach to the most diversi-
fied group of persons with disabilities. It should be noted that multiple disabilities
are not a simple sum of different disabilities. Libuše Ludíková (2005: 42) notes that
the problem of combined disabilities is one of the most complicated domains in
special needs education, and it has not been described in detail. The Bulleting of
the Ministry of Education no. 8/1997 says that:

we speak of a child with multiple disabilities only if the child has two or more independent
forms of disabilities, and the consequence of each of the respective disabilities is the place-
ment of the child in special needs education. (Věstník MŠMT ČR č. 8/1997)

Education of persons with multiple disabilities

in the Czech Republic

The provision of education to persons with multiple disabilities in the Czech Re-
public depends on the degree of disability. Apart from the family and state institu-
tions, in the last two decades, numerous non-government, social, charity and reli-
gious organisations and civic associations have developed that help provide access
to education to persons with multiple disabilities. Considering the fact that special
needs education deals with such persons increasingly often, relevant educational
possibilities need to be found in order to help them achieve the highest level of
independence possible.
Education of adults with multiple disabilities is mainly provided by evening
schools. Jarmila Pipeková (2006: 283) notes that “evening schools are very im-
portant form of continued development of adults with multiple disabilities, stim-
ulating their social contacts and enabling them to spend their free time in the
right way”. Courses in evening schools are mainly a chance to get some training.
Vocational education of persons with multiple disabilities in the Czech Republic is
provided by public and non-public institutions. Children with multiple disabilities
may receive pre-school and early childhood education at home or in special needs
institutions (e.g. social care centres).
The education of persons with multiple disabilities is guaranteed on the basis
of such documents as:
−  Listina základních práv a svobod v čl. 33. Ústavy České republics [The
Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (the right to education is
provided for in Article 33 of the Constitution of the Czech Republic)]: it
Analysis of the discourse on education and rehabilitation of persons 231

is a part of the constitutional order of the Czech Republic and is founded

mainly on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 adopted by
the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. According to Arti-
cle 33, every citizen has the right to free education, the right to free univer-
sity education and the right to establish non-public schools;
−  Národní program rozvoje vzdělávání v ČR – “Bílá hniha” [The National
Programme for the Development of Education in the Czech Republic, the
“White Book”]: it is the effect of analyses and evaluations of the Czech
educational system after 1989. It notes that the priority should be the soci-
oeconomic development of the Czech Republic, which has a “decisive im-
pact on the human capital”. It was developed pursuant to the Resolution of
the Czech Government no. 277 of 7 April 1999. The National Programme
became the starting point for the development of the principles of the
education system in the Czech Republic. As regards persons with multiple
disabilities, it is supposed to create and support an environment that stim-
ulates integration. It is necessary to ensure the education of children with
very severe degrees of disabilities, who were previously excluded from the
education system;
−  Zákon ze dne 19. března 2015, kterým se mění zákon č.  561/2004 Sb.
o předškolním, základním, středním, vyššim odborném [The Act of
19 August 2015 amending the Act no. 561/2004 Sb. on Teaching in Kinder-
gartens, Primary Schools, Vocational Schools and Other Schools] describes
support for children, youth and students with special educational needs,
such as individualised instruction or the use of assisting devices, special
manuals or teaching aids;
−  Výhláška ze dne 2 června 2016 kterou se měni výhlaška č. 72?2005 Sb.
o poskytování poradenských služeb ve školách a školských poradenských
zažizeních [The Decree of 2 June 2016 amending the Directive no. 72/2005
Sb. on the Provision of School Counselling in Schools], regarding persons
with disabilities, it defines the target groups of school counselling, e.g. pu-
pils with mental disorders, motor disability, visual or hearing impairment,
speech impairment, multiple disabilities;
−  Výhlaška č. 27/2016 Sb. o vzdělávání žáků se specialnimí vzdělávacími
potřebamí a ráků nadáných [The Decree no. 27/2016 Sb. on the Education
of Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Gifted Pupils] governs the
principles of teaching children, pupils and students with special educational
needs. It defines the means of support and individual teaching plans for
232 Tomasz Kasprzak

pupils, ensures the help of a teacher assistant and enables communication

in the Czech Sign Language (ensures a translator and transcription for deaf
pupils). The Decree introduces procedures associated with providing finan-
cial support for schools;
Once children with disabilities were included in compulsory education in the
Czech Republic, the term: “children/pupils with special educational needs” start-
ed to be used. The category of pupils with multiple disabilities is divided into the
following three groups in the educational discourse (Zákon č. 561/2004 Sb., §16.):
−  The first group, whose common feature is intellectual disability and addi-
tional disabilities (sensory impairments, speech impairments);
−  The second group consists of a combination of sensory damages and im-
pairments. A special group are deaf-blind children;
−  The third group are pupils on the autism spectrum (with autistic traits).
The problem of the education of persons with multiple disabilities has re-
cently found its place in the contemporary concepts of special needs education.
In the Czech Republic, a scholarly approach to persons with multiple disabilities
developed in the 1980s. Back then, studies focused on evaluating which (of the
many) disabilities has the decisive impact on the social functioning disorders
of such persons. On this basis, specific procedures for teaching persons with
multiple disabilities were developed. The theoretical and empirical research con-
ducted back then proved that persons with two or more disabilities could not be
considered as a sum of “normal” disabilities for whom a specific combination of
educational methods and approaches is used. As a result of that research, a com-
pletely new and unique type of disability was defined, which should be treated
comprehensively and with particular attention. Štefan Vašek, (2003: 9) defines
special needs education of persons with multiple disabilities as a discipline that
is “a relatively comprehensive system of scholarly knowledge about education
(upbringing, teaching and learning) of persons with multiple disabilities who,
for many reasons, have special educational needs. This domain has its theoretical
as well as practical background”.
The education of pupils with multiple disabilities is a hot topic in discussions.
Compared to previous years, when the opinions on the education of persons with
multiple disabilities were negative, we now notice the development of integration
processes in their education. The current trend in the Czech Republic focuses
mainly on self-care, alternative communication and performance of social roles.
An individual approach is accentuated, which leads to individualised instruction
involving a team of specialists in various areas (special needs educators, psycholo-
gists, physicians, social workers).
Analysis of the discourse on education and rehabilitation of persons 233

Table 2. The most important principles in the education of persons with multiple disabilities
The principle of clarity
Zásada názornosti
The principle of
proportionality
Zásadou přiměřenosti
The principle of cohesion
Zásada soustavnosti
The principle of durability
Zásada trvalosti
The principle of pupil’s
awareness and active
participation
Zásada uvědomělosti a aktivity
žáků
The principle of individual
approach
Zásada individuálního přístupu
Source: Own elaboration based on: Valenta, Müller, 2013
This concerns mainly special needs schools. It is important to re-
alise that children with multiple disabilities find it very difficult to
generalise concepts. Pupils acquire knowledge through teaching aids
and with their help, they perceive the world around them by seeing,
hearing and touching.
It involves selecting the right model, content and teaching struc-
tures, adequate to the age, skills and level of disability of the respec-
tive pupils.
It is particularly important for teachers who should choose this
teaching method in order to solidify the pupils’ existing knowledge
and social skills.
It concerns the skills and habits that persons with multiple disabil-
ities need to practice regularly. The teacher should enable pupils to
use the skills they have learned in social life.
The awareness of acquiring new knowledge is important for pupils’
future experiences. This process should start as early as possible.
Thus, pupils should be acquainted with what will be happening in
the classroom, what tasks they will be expected to do and how they
can use their knowledge and broaden their interests.
It enables reducing the number of pupils in a classroom and the pres-
ence of two teachers during classes.

Conclusion

Every tenth citizen1 of the Czech Republic is disabled. Many of them live in small
towns or villages, where they have no access to education. The problem of multiple
disabilities is still little known among the Czech society. This is mainly due to lim-
ited awareness; many people think multiple disabilities to be something abstract.
The direction and dynamics of changes in the field of the education of persons
with multiple disabilities provide many useful guidelines concerning the need for
systemic changes, and, most importantly, the integration of those persons with
the rest of the society. In the light of the main idea of this paper, of the observed
changes in the Czech society, the positive ones are those that build an environment
conductive to creating open education for those persons. The negative ones are
those factors that hinder the process – by this I mean mainly the prejudices held
against “the other” in the Czech society. The direction of changes taking place in

1
  The total number of persons with disabilities in the Czech Republic is 1,077,673. Results pur-
suant to the research: Vybrané údaje o sociálním zabezpečení (2015)
234 Tomasz Kasprzak

the Czech Republic in terms of the approach to persons with multiple disabilities is
in line with the spirit of international instruments concerning the rights of persons
with disabilities (e.g. the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of
the Declaration of Human Rights).

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